French-Style Spareribs

The oak trees in our yard are quickly shedding their leaves to prepare for the coming winter. In contrast, Pilot, my normally petite cat is just a bit bigger as he’s now holding on to his fur (and hopefully appears more formidable in the eyes of the field mice). The resident Great Horned owls are making their presence known to each other with their mating calls, their hoo-hoo-hoo from late evening to early morning one of the most welcome, beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. When I step out at night the air is crisp and chilly, delivering a bite to my cheeks that grows just a bit sharper each day. I am responding to nature’s changing mood, as well. I’m hungry for more substance on my plate. No longer is a simple salad sufficient for a meal; now it is desirable only as a prelude to a heartier, more robust main course.

If you look at my category cloud on my sidebar you might notice that beef and pork are quite underrepresented though I enjoy both very much. I shared these Pork Ribs with Orange Glaze last year, the citrus and herbs winning my heart for the twist on the classic, sweeter preparation. In the Languedoc region of southwest France spareribs are prepared in the oven, roasted until the meat is very tender. Traditionally, a special implement called a flambadou, a perforated wrought iron cup (that was secured to a rod) was used as a basting instrument. It was heated until red-hot and a piece of country ham fat was placed inside. As the fat melted it would drip onto the ribs, imparting a charred, ham flavor to the meat. Then an herb-infused oil would be brushed on the ribs as a finishing touch.

I have no flambadou but melt-in-your-mouth spareribs infused simply with herbs de Provence and mint sounded no less appetizing to me. After rubbing the ribs with salt and pepper, I let the oven do the work. The oil–infused with a mix of dried herbs, fresh mint, balsamic vinegar and sugar–was used to glaze the meat before broiling and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results. I am certain that the traditional Languedoc preparation would have been superior to this, more modern, version but I can honestly say that the ribs I served in my northern California kitchen successfully transported me to southwest France, even just for a short while. Oo la la!

1. For the herb-oil, combine the ingredients from the herbs to the balsamic vinegar and set aside.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the pork with salt and pepper, place in a roasting pan (I used a cast iron skillet), cover with foil and bake for two hours. With only two pounds of meat for my version, mine was done in about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Turn on your broiler, remove the foil covering the ribs and brush herb-oil on the meat. Broil until the meat is crisp and brown. Repeat for the other side of the ribs.

I’m drooling looking at the spare rib’s glaze… looks delicious!!!! I like your idea of covering the handle with cloth. I am not sure if it’s for practical purpose or food styling but I need that one… I often forget the skillet is still hot and burn my palm. I did that many times and I still don’t learn!

Hi Nami!
The canvas wrapped around the skillet handle was 10% for practical reasons and 90% for aesthetics. I cut up one of the fabrics I had…glad you like it and believe me, I’ve got a scar or two from forgetting my mitt also!

Hi Shen,
Yes, your Fandango review brought back some nice memories. My current favorite restaurant in the area is Flying Fish Grill in Carmel. You and Nami will have to try it the next time you’re there. Let me know what you think if you do.

My husband and I love spareribs. I remember how we agreed with each other’s choices everytime we went on dates (before we had a little girl, who now takes most of our time now, that we don’t go out on dates anymore….not that I am complaining o_o) Spareribs is always the choice. Since dinner dates are not part of the household budget now, a home-cooked version will serve just right. A candlelight effect and a nice tablecloth and this recipe will be a date—home version! Thanks for sharing!

I’m such a fan of ribs, that my friends have literally banned me for picking restaurants whenever we decide to eat out, because I would invariably go for some place specializing in them!
And thanks for a different take on ribs…I can now think beyond bbq sauce and soy sauce.

Lacking a roasting pan/cast iron skillet, I used a big stainless steel fry pan, but wishing to avoid sticking, I olive-oiled the pan …. also since I’m the only human being on earth sensitive to lavender, I used Italian seasoning instead. Should be delish even if a bit of a variation…. thanks for the really great idea for using the mint.

Lizzie, I’m so glad you tried the ribs. I appreciate your feedback. Even if you switched the herbs around a bit, I think the mint is the star, wouldn’t you agree? I’m very happy that you liked this recipe. Thanks so much!

Hi and Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you! I came over to check out your scrumptious ribs a few ago and spaced out on leaving a comment, I’m a little behind on visiting my favorite blogs but am committed to catching up! I hope you’re feeling well and planning your next post;-)

I cook a lot with cast iron, so I noticed how you wrapped the handle and I love it. This recipe is a keeper for me. I don’t like sweet ribs or barbecue sauce and I now live in the south. I look for new and less sweet yet comforting ways to prepare ribs.